Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

What Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences does

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences is a constituent college of The Pennsylvania State University, a public land-grant research university headquartered at University Park, Pennsylvania. Established as part of Penn State's land-grant mission, which dates to 1855 and was formalized under the Morrill Act in 1887, the college delivers undergraduate and graduate education across 17 diverse majors, an Agricultural Experiment Station, and statewide extension services through Penn State Extension.

The college's core offerings span degree programs, the Agricultural Experiment Station, applied research, and Penn State Extension's science-based programming for citizens and businesses. Its product surface includes 17 undergraduate majors, graduate degree programs, online degrees, international programs under the Ag Sciences Global sub-brand, continuing-education short courses (Ice Cream, HACCP, Pasteurization, Dairy Nutrition, Food Safety and Sanitation), the Berkey Creamery operation, and an annual Ag Progress Days showcase. Its most visible digital offering is Ask Tilva, a generative-AI assistant integrated into Penn State Extension that processes natural-language queries to provide text-based answers to agriculture questions.

The college operates as a non-commercial public academic unit. It does not publicly report standalone revenue and is funded through university allocations, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania appropriations, federal land-grant funds, research grants, tuition, and private donations. Its go-to-market combines direct enrollment through Penn State admissions, statewide extension outreach via county offices, industry partnerships through the Penn State Ag Council, Ag Action Network, and CARET, and professional development through conferences and short courses. Leadership is led by Dean Troy L. Ott (Peter and Ann Tombros Dean), supported by senior associate and associate deans covering research, extension, undergraduate education, global programs, and access and equity.

Name

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences)

Website

https://agsci.psu.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences is a public land-grant college within Penn State University that delivers undergraduate and graduate agricultural education across 17 majors, applied research, and statewide extension services through Penn State Extension.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (61), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Junior Colleges (Associate-Degree Granting) (EDAHADAC), Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Extension services
• Agricultural research
• Land-grant university
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The college delivers higher-education degree programs across 17 undergraduate majors and graduate programs in agricultural and life sciences, conducts research through the Agricultural Experiment Station, and provides statewide extension/outreach via Penn State Extension. Supplementary offerings include professional development short courses, international education (Ag Sciences Global), AI-powered agricultural assistance (Ask Tilva), and retail dairy products through Berkey Creamery.

Product overview

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences offers a unified portfolio of educational services centered on undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 17 majors, supplemented by Penn State Extension for community outreach and continuing education. The college provides professional development through short courses (Ice Cream Short Course, HACCP, Pasteurization, Dairy Nutrition, Food Safety and Sanitation), operates research facilities including Ag Progress Days, and delivers digital education via Ag Sciences Global. Key digital offerings include Ask Tilva, an AI Assistant integrated into Penn State Extension that provides text-based answers to agriculture questions. The college's research mission is supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station and collaborative research centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Penn State Extension: Research-based advice for homeowners and businesses on gardening, farming, food and health, community development, natural resources, and youth development.
• Ag Sciences Global
• Berkey Creamery

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (17 majors)

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Penn State Ag CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory council representing agricultural industry interests, providing guidance on curriculum, research priorities, and workforce development needs.
• Ag Action NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork connecting the college with agricultural industry stakeholders for collaboration and advocacy.
• CARET (Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational advocacy coalition for agricultural research and extension programs at land-grant universities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue University College of Agriculture: Indiana-based public land-grant agricultural college with parallel undergraduate, graduate, and extension structure. Direct peer in Midwest recruitment markets and federal research competition.
• University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES): Public land-grant college with comparable undergraduate majors, extension service, and research portfolio. Direct competitor in Big Ten ag markets.
• Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES): Ohio-based land-grant college with parallel structure of academic departments, extension, and research stations. Overlaps Penn State in geographic reach and ag-industry employer networks.
• UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: Top-tier public land-grant agricultural college with extensive research, extension, and broad major offerings. Competes with Penn State for research funding, faculty, and out-of-state students.
• Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): Premier Ivy-caliber land-grant agricultural college offering undergraduate, graduate, and extension programming with strong research footprint. Comparable scope, mission, and student outcomes profile.
• Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Major public land-grant college with strong extension service, research stations, and undergraduate programs. Comparable scale, mission, and industry partnerships in animal science and agronomy.
• Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Land-grant Big Ten peer with similar 17+ majors, extension footprint, and research intensity. Geographic and demographic overlap in the Northeast/Midwest ag student market.
• Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Another large public land-grant agricultural college with extension, undergraduate and graduate programs, and significant research output. Direct structural and mission analog to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
• NC State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Major Southeast public land-grant agricultural college with research, extension, and strong industry connections. Comparable in scale and mission; competes for federal research funding.
• University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences: Land-grant Big Ten agricultural college with strong extension, research, and dairy/food science programs—comparable to Penn State's dairy/creamery strength via Babcock Hall.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agsciences
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PennStateAgSciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/agsciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-state-college-of-agricultural-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/agsciences

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences